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More cities to take part in pilot program, especially in border areas, in a move experts say will increase foreign business

Another 22 cities, including Beijing, will join 13 cities that have already established national pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce, a move that experts and industry insiders said will help boost foreign trade via digital platforms.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, approved the establishment of the new pilot zones in Beijing, 17 provinces and two autonomous regions, according to a notice disclosed last week. Half are located in border areas or frontier regions designated for opening-up.

The zones will pilot technical standards, operational procedures, management models and informationization for business-to-business operations in the cross-border e-commerce industry, which is expected to find new ways to promote a healthy development of the industry.

Meanwhile, local governments should deepen administrative streamlining for foreign trade and support the pilot zones in simplifying procedures in logistics, warehousing and customs clearance to boost liberalization and facilitation for international trade, the notice said.

New business models, including cross-border e-commerce, are vital means to improve the quality of foreign trade, the Ministry of Commerce said last week. These business models were mentioned by the Government Work Report, delivered by Premier Li Keqiang in March, each year since 2015. The State Council approved 13 pilot zones in 2015 and 2016. Reported by China Daily